MR W.A. HUNTS NEW DISCOVERY.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 43, 29 March 1884, Page 2

MR W.A. HUNTS NEW DISCOVERY.

Ouu reporter made a special visit to the locality of tliib discovery on Thursday. The. claim is situated in a gully or small creek running 1 down from the main range into Sheehan and Qnm's clearing at tne month of the Uotokohu gorge, ami is about three-quarters of a mile hack from the edge of the bu»h. Tiic loc.ihty cannot be termed a new one, for a good deal of prospecting work has lie done in the gully, and a fair show of gold obtained from time to time. A number of old holes and drives are visible, and, judging" from the vegetation that ha.s sprung 1 up and nearly concealed some of them, years nm.st have elapsed since the place had its first trial. The workings of Messrs Hunt nnd party are situated at the upper end of these old ones, on a rather flat part of the spin on the left hand side in nscendingg the creek. The existence of the leader from which the gold is now being got has been known for some time, and f.iir prospects were obtainable from it prior to the announcement of this last find. A surface drive has been put, in and a winze sunk by Mr OBrien, one of the present party, who, in the course of his work, occasionally had an encouraging show ol gold. Owing to the wetness of the ground, the winze was abandoned and a low level was started about 20 feet below the upper drive It is now in over 70 feet, and at about 05 the vein was struck. The leader varies in size from (J o 12 inches, but is not yet very well deh'ued. If. is of a soft nml.ocky nature, iniermixed with small quartz and lumps of sandstone seamed with quartz. Fair dish prospects of conrseish gold can be got, an i strong colours are occasionally visible in the rubble. The course of the vein is supposed to be about N.tt. by 8.W., but owing to the broken nature of the country neither course nor undeiline can yet be ascertained correctly, and as the surface, which is only 30 feet overhead, is rather flat, some distance further may have to be driven before solid ground is reached. The drive from mouth to face has required close timbering and careful working, so the prospecting of the leader has by no means been an easy task. Much credit is due to Mr Hunt and his party for thu energetic nnd systematic way in which they have set about the developemcnt of their claim, and it is sincerely to be hoped that their enterprise will meet with a fitting reward. Several claims hnve been pegged oft' in the neighbourhood, but nothing in the shape of work has yet w been done on any of tliem.